Auxiliary verb for "coucher"

Patrick K.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Auxiliary verb for "coucher"

Ma femme viendra nous rejoindre après avoir couché le bébé.

My wife will come and join us after putting the baby to sleep.

(HINT: Use 'coucher' (to put to bed))

 

I put:

Ma femme viendra nous rejoindre après être couché le bébé.

I thought coucher takes être as its auxiliary. Does that only apply when its reflexive? Or is there some other problem?

Asked 1 year ago
Maarten K.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

Patrick - you have answered your own question. You are correct that, as with any verbs in pronominal form, ‘se coucher’ takes ‘ être ‘ as auxiliary. 

 https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/agreement-with-pronominal-verbs/

In the non-reflexive form ‘ coucher ’ takes ‘ avoir’ as auxiliary. 

There are many conjugation tables available online that are useful references. 

Example from wordreference : 

 https://www.wordreference.com/conj/frverbs.aspx?v=coucher 

 https://www.wordreference.com/conj/frverbs.aspx?v=se%20coucher

Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

Just to add to Maarten's answer:

The sentence you quote has a COD, namely le bébé. A verb with a COD always uses avoir as auxiliary verb.

coucher qqn. -- to put somebody to sleep (lt. to sleep somebody)

Auxiliary verb for "coucher"

Ma femme viendra nous rejoindre après avoir couché le bébé.

My wife will come and join us after putting the baby to sleep.

(HINT: Use 'coucher' (to put to bed))

 

I put:

Ma femme viendra nous rejoindre après être couché le bébé.

I thought coucher takes être as its auxiliary. Does that only apply when its reflexive? Or is there some other problem?

Sign in to submit your answer

Don't have an account yet? Join today

Ask a question

Find your French level for FREE

Test your French to the CEFR standard

Find your French level
Clever stuff happening!